With Coco Crisp, others injured, A's eye roster relief

ANAHEIM -- The A's will have to make do with an effectively 24-man roster this weekend with Coco Crisp out with neck problems, and so Oakland is looking forward to the expansion of rosters from 25 to 40 on Monday with some eagerness.

More than that, they are looking forward to getting some players out of the ranks of the injured, starting with Crisp, who reinjured his neck while making an attempted catch of Chris Iannetta's two-run homer in the fifth inning Friday.

Crisp told Melvin and the A's medics he wasn't hurting as much as the last time he ran into a wall, while may or may not be good news because since the first wall-apallooza he's missed over two dozen games, mostly with neck issues.

"I never like to say,'' manager Bob Melvin said when asked if Crisp could be used the latter stages of Saturday's game. "But he's very stiff.''

The A's would like to believe he'll be ready to play sometime on the homestand against the Mariners and Astros that starts Monday.

Manager Bob Melvin said the club is getting positive reports on catcher John Jaso (concussion) to the point where Jaso could start doing baseball work on Monday and perhaps come off the disabled list shortly thereafter.

Closer Sean Doolittle's recovery from a right intercostal (side) strain isn't as far along as Jaso, but he's feeling better, too and sometime next week could start doing baseball activity. Jaso is technically eligible to come off the DL Sunday, but that won't happen.

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Doolittle is not eligible to return until Sept. 8, and the A's are marginally more optimistic that he won't have to miss much more than the 15 days that is the minimum time he has to be away.

Assistant general manager David Forst joined the team Saturday evening specifically to be able to sit and talk with Melvin about possible promotions for Monday. Two players the A's are eager to get back, lefty pitcher Drew Pomeranz and first baseman Nate Freiman, having been sent down in just the last week, won't be eligible to play for Oakland until Tuesday.

The A's figure to have a handful of players brought up on Monday, although neither Melvin or Forst was ready to commit to any with the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats and Double-A Midland headed to their respective.

But right-handed reliever Fernando Rodriguez and lefty Joe Savery, both of whom have been with Oakland this year, seem good bets. Hitters already on the 40-man roster include outfielder Shane Peterson and Billy Burns.

First baseman/outfielder Brandon Moss said after Friday's game "I'm really not helping us right now even though I feel fine at the plate.''

Melvin was asked what he could do to help Moss out. Moss was at .266 with 23 homers and 71 RBIs on July 24 and is at .187 with no homers and five RBIs since.

"Some hits would help,'' the manager said. "He's had some good swings lately. But a couple of hits would help his confidence.''

Stephen Vogt was in the starting lineup batting second Saturday, the eighth time he's batted second this season.

He's started in every spot in the lineup except leadoff, and when asked Saturday why he didn't press for that, he said "I think Sam Fuld's better there.''

Vogt said he used to change his approach at the plate based on where he was batting in the lineup, but he doesn't do that anymore.

"I've found that if you go up and just try to make your best at-bat, that's when things work the best,'' Vogt said. "I'm much more consistent this way.''